How Often Should You Replace Your Toothbrush & Why

Good oral hygiene is essential if you want to keep your teeth into old age. In fact, research shows that good oral health will also help you to have good overall health, the two are linked. A major part of this is brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time.

It is also important to see a dentist, such as this dentist Fortitude Valley, regularly. They can advise regarding any issues and help you resolve them before they cause serious problems.

However, knowing you need to brush your teeth twice a day and floss once is only part of the story. You also need to replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months. It is important to note that the exact amount of time is different depending on your brushing style.

Why Change Your Toothbrush

A toothbrush should be used at a 45° angle to your gums. This encourages the removal of debris around your teeth and in your gum lines. If you don’t remove the debris then the sugar in food will react with bacteria in your mouth. In the process, they create acid that attacks enamel and the food becomes sticky.

This adheres to your teeth and is known as plaque. If left, the plaque hardens and becomes tartar. Unfortunately, tartar traps bacteria which can then attack your gums. This causes gum disease and, if that is left untreated you can lose your teeth.

Brushing and flossing help to prevent this. But, if you don’t replace your toothbrush regularly the bristles will start to flatten. When the bristles are flattened they can no longer remove debris from the gum line effectively. You will be allowing bacteria to attack your teeth.

This is made worse by the fact that the flattened bristles can actually cause damage to your teeth and gums, making the situation worse.

Choosing the Right Toothbrush

Knowing that you should change a manual toothbrush every 3-4 months makes it easier to create a reminder and change it when necessary.

There are several different toothbrush options on the market, specifically soft bristles, hard ones and medium ones. To choose the right one for your teeth you need to think about how hard you brush. The harder you brush the more important it is that you use soft bristles. Brushing too hard can also damage your gums and cause health issues.

If you prefer you can choose to use an electric toothbrush. These generally have shorter bristles. That means you need to change them every 2-3 months, they will wear faster due to the speed of the rotation and the shortness of the brushes.

Ensuring Your Toothbrush Lasts

To help ensure your toothbrush lasts as long as possible it is advisable to keep it separate from other toothbrushes, it avoids the spreading of germs. You should always rinse it after using it and never use soap or something similar to clean it. Rinsing is enough.

In addition, never store it in a closed container, which creates a breeding ground.